Accidents Just Happen, Or Do They?
by Iknowyoulovemexoxo
Summary: When her husband gets hurt in the ring Stephanie has to find a way to move forward.


It was Backlash 2005 and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque was watching the match with baited breath, she couldn't help but think that Dave Batista was being deliberately rough with her husband but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and focussed on watching him get through the match.

Stephanie had started pacing the floor just wanting the match to end when all of a sudden there was a gasp from the entire crowd and everybody went silent and she turned back to the monitor to see Paul lying on the floor not moving with the ref checking on him and she ran towards the Gorilla position.

When she was at the Gorilla she noticed a few frantic faces, "what's going on? What's happened?"

Vince turned towards his daughter, "I don't know, something has gone wrong and Paul's not moving or responding."

She ran a hand through her hair, "fuck this." She pushed her way through the crowd of people that had gathered and she ran down to the ring not caring what anybody thought.

Stephanie reached the ring and slid in immediately going to Paul's side grabbing his hand as Chris the trainer was checking him over, "what's going on Chris?"

Chris frowned, "I don't know. We need to get him to hospital as soon as possible. Stephanie I'm not going to sugar coat this, Paul has taken a nasty bump to the back of his head and neck and we need him in hospital now."

She was too stunned to move so Ric Flair who had accompanied Paul to the ring gently pulled her to the side so that the EMT's could get him strapped onto a backboard and move him from the ring.

The next few hours were a blur to her, she remembered getting in the ambulance and them driving to the hospital and then him being rushed away from her as she just sat and waited. About an hour and a half after she had arrived the Doctors had come out and said some things that she was unable to take in, she hadn't even registered the arrival of Ric, Shawn Michaels, her Father, her brother or Paul's parents. Four hours after their initial arrival to the hospital Stephanie was sat holding Paul's hand as tears fell freely down her face when the Doctor walked in and asked to speak to her.

She reluctantly let go of his hand as she stepped outside of the room and the Doctor started speaking, it was all a jumble of jargon and words and she didn't understand any of it, the only words she took in were, "I'm sorry but your Husband is brain dead, the only thing keeping him alive is the machines."

A strangled cry could be heard throughout the corridors as she collapsed on the floor in tears.

_5 days later_

The last five days had been purely numb for her, she didn't remember anything and she didn't know how she had survived them but today was Paul's funeral and she had to face everybody.

Paul's parents accompanied Stephanie to the service, there were so many faces from the WWE there, old and new but nothing made any sense to her, she didn't understand why her Husband had to be taken away from her and she blindly got through the service and the burial before she went back to their house to just be alone.

_2 weeks after Paul had died_

Stephanie had taken two weeks off from work and everything and today she was due back at work, she had spent the past few days being sick but she had gotten herself into such a state over returning that it was understandable.

As she sat on the plane heading to the destination of Raw she couldn't help but think back to the anonymous letter she had received from somebody telling her that the locker room had only turned out to Paul's funeral because she was the boss' daughter and because nobody wanted to lose their job but secretly they were all happy that he was no longer wrestling as they felt they all now had an equal chance of reaching the top and staying there.

She sat silently through the first production meeting catching up on storylines and the plans for the evening and when it was over she had to distribute a couple of preliminary scripts to people and as she was walking down the corridor she spotted Batista and a couple of other guys stood in the corridor laughing and joking and she caught part of the conversation, "he went down like a sack of potatoes, it was so easy"

She turned dropping the scripts with a thud and ran off not able to listen any more. None of the wrestlers in that little group of people had seen her but Ric Flair had and he chased after her.

Stephanie ran straight into the bathroom and just made it to the toilet in time as she threw up. Ric Flair came into the locker room behind her and stood in the doorway as she threw up and once she had finished he grabbed a wash cloth and wet it before he gently wiped her face with it, "are you okay?"

She shook her head and slowly got up off of the floor, "I can't do this."

She walked past him and went back into the main room and started re-packing her suitcase, "What are you doing Stephanie?"

Stephanie didn't look at him, "I'm leaving, I need to get out of here."

He sighed, "stay here a minute and I'll grab my things and I'll come with you"

He made a quick exit from the locker room before she had chance to protest.

Ric raced back to where his stuff was and made sure he had everything before he picked his bags up as Chris Benoit said, "what's up Ric?"

Ric sighed, "I'm taking Stephanie home."

Dave Batista walked back in the room to hear that, "Stephanie's here? Like Stephanie, Paul's wife Steph?"

Ric nodded, "yes, today was her first day back at work but she needs to get out of here. Chris please can you bring Vince up to speed and tell him I'll call him later with an update."

Chris nodded, "consider it done."

He headed out to find Vince as Ric went to walk past Dave but before he did he said, "Dave here is a sound piece of advice for you. When you go shooting your mouth off about how easily somebody went down I suggest you make sure their widow is not around to hear you talk because it's not big and it's not clever."

Dave went to respond to the accusation, "Bu . . ."

However Ric stopped him before he could, "don't even think about making up an excuse. You don't think I've not heard you and some of the other boys talking about how good it is that he's gone and how now everybody has a fair shot? You don't think that I don't know that you're suddenly the locker room hero for taking him out? Dave that was somebody's husband you took out, Vince may say it was an accident, the boys may hail you their hero but all Stephanie can see is her future mapped out before her without the man that she loved dearly and who loved her more than life itself." With that he walked out.

Ric caught up with Stephanie just in time as she was about to leave and he climbed in the limo next to her and she just looked at him, "what are you doing?"

"I'm not leaving you alone, you need somebody and I want to be there for you."

A couple of hours later they pulled up outside the Greenwich home that Stephanie had shared with Paul, Ric grabbed their bags as they headed inside but he just went to the bedroom and stayed there.

Ric figured that Stephanie wanted to be alone so he just made them both a meal and took it up to her and left her alone again.

He spent the afternoon on the phone to his wife and to Vince asking advice from both of them and neither really knew what to say so he decided to just stay in case she needed him.

He was woken up the next morning by the sound of someone being sick so he got up off of the couch and headed upstairs to see Stephanie again sat on the bathroom floor, "are you okay?"

"I thought it would pass after yesterday."

"How long has it been going on?"

"A couple of days. I thought it was because I was worried about yesterday but obviously not."

"I'm going to take you to the Doctors as this isn't right."

Stephanie just sighed knowing that really she didn't have an option, "the number's in the book by the phone."

One hour later and Stephanie was sat next to Ric in the Doctors waiting room when her name was called and she headed inside. The Doctor asked some questions and ran a few tests before he sat her down to tell her the results causing Stephanie to burst into tears.

Knowing the situation the Doctor walked out into the waiting room, "Mr Flair, could you please join us, I think your friend needs you."

Ric immediately got up and walked inside wrapping his arms around a crying Stephanie, "shhhh, it's okay, it'll all be okay."

When she had calmed down the Doctor said, "we really need to do the ultrasound Stephanie. Your friend can stay if you want."

Ric looked at Stephanie quizzically as she wiped at her eyes, "I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened, "oh my God, I don't know whether to be happy or sad."

"Me too. I always dreamed this day would come and Paul would be sat here with me and not you, no offence Ric."

"I understand. Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes please."

The Doctor smiled softly, "just hop up onto the couch and we'll get this sorted for you."

Stephanie jumped up onto the couch and lay back staring at the ceiling as the Doctor started the ultrasound and Ric held her hand. After a few minutes the Doctor turned the screen around so she could see, "there they are."

He pointed to the screen and Stephanie smiled crying a fresh batch of tears, "is it okay?"

The Doctor laughed softly, "they're both fine."

Her eyes widened, "both?"

"You're carrying twins."

Stephanie was in shock and Ric smiled, "I guess this was Paul's final gift to you, two babies for you to remember him by."

_Seven and a half months later_

Stephanie was sat on the couch as Patricia (Paul's Mother) fussed around her but soon she had to get up to relieve the ache in her back when she felt water trickling down her leg, "uh Pat, it's time."

Pat smiled and called her Husband so they could take Stephanie to the hospital.

She lay back on the bed breathing heavily with Pat on one side and Linda on the other, as Paul couldn't be there with her she'd decided to have her two Mum's with her.

After a few hours of panting and groaning she finally pushed one little life into the world and the Doctor said, "it's a boy."

Stephanie smiled as she felt another wave of pain hit her and she pushed another little life into the world, "it's a girl."

She was finally able to lay back and relax and wait for her babies.

The Nurses wrapped the babies up and placed them in Stephanie's arms as Linda and Pat both smiled, "any ideas for names?"

Stephanie bit her lip, "I think I'll name my baby boy Paul Richard Junior and I'm going to name my baby girl Michelle Shauna after their Dad and two of the many people that helped me through this tough time."

Patricia and Linda both cried happy tears and smiled, all three women were happy but they were also remembering Paul and they knew that the two babies Stephanie was holding would be spoiled rotten and would know every single detail about their Father and they wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
